The ITP Approach
A Search Built Around Your Needs. Not Our Process.
Most search firms have a standard playbook. Send resumes, hope something sticks, negotiate higher compensation to raise their prices, collect the fee. ITP works differently, because ITPs founder spent 20 years watching that playbook fail from the inside.
Before we talk about process, we want to be honest about something.
The reason most executive searches go sideways isn't sourcing. It's listening to the details. Finding the nuances. A firm that doesn't take the time to understand your organization, its culture, its pace, where it's headed, will never find the right person. They'll find someone who looks right on paper. That's not the same thing.
ITP starts every search by listening. And we don't stop until we're certain we understand what the right hire actually looks like for you, not in the abstract, but specifically, for this role, in your organization, right now.
The Five Stage Process
Kickoff & Position Definition
Week 1
We don't start sourcing until we understand the role completely. That means a real intake conversation — not a form. We want to know what success looks like at 90 days, what the team dynamic requires, what the last person in this role got right and got wrong, and what your compensation position looks like in your market.
From that conversation, we write a search brief: a clear, specific definition of what we're looking for and who we're going to approach. You approve it before we move.
Active Sourcing
Weeks 1–3
Every ITP search starts fresh. We don't pull from a recycled database. We go directly to the market — active outreach to the specific people who are right for this role, not a broadcast to everyone who has ever submitted a resume.
Dana's network inside healthcare is the asset here. Twenty years of relationships built inside the organizations you're trying to hire from. We know who's performing, who's ready for a bigger role, and who isn't looking — but might be.
Screening & Shortlist
Weeks 2–4
We interview every candidate before you see them. You receive a written assessment with each name on the shortlist, not a forwarded resume with a one-line note, but a substantive evaluation of why this person belongs on your list and what to probe in your interview.
Our shortlists are short. Three to five candidates who are genuinely qualified. Not ten names designed to make us look busy.
Client Interviews & Coordination
Weeks 3–5
We coordinate every step of the interview process. Scheduling, candidate preparation, reference verification, and the conversation management that keeps good candidates from going cold while you're making a decision.
If a strong candidate receives another offer, you'll hear from us within hours, not after the fact. We don't let good searches lose on logistics.
Offer, Placement & Guarantee Period
Weeks 4–6
We support the offer process from first number to signed letter. Our fees are calculated on base salary only, which means we can help you build the strongest possible total package without adding to our fee. That alignment matters.
Once your new leader is in seat, the 60-day guarantee period begins. If the placement doesn't work out, through voluntary resignation or termination for reasons other than gross misconduct, we conduct a replacement search at no additional fee. We stand behind the work.
The Three Things That Make ITP Different
You will never have to chase us. Consistent communication throughout the search. Status updates on a schedule you set. Honest conversations when something isn't working. You should never wonder where your search stands.
The price is set before we start. ITP fees are based on first-year base salary only, calculated and agreed before the search begins. No adjustments for bonuses, equity, or variable pay. The number you see at kickoff is the number you pay at placement.
Every search starts from scratch. No recycled database pulls. No candidates who "almost fit" a previous search. Active outreach, built around your specific role, every time.
What We Need From You
A search is a partnership. Here's what makes it work.
Candor at kickoff. The more honest you are about the role with its challenges, its history, its compensation, the more precisely we can search. We've heard everything. There is no bad information at the intake stage.
Timely feedback. We ask for a response within two business days of presenting candidates. Great candidates move quickly. A slow process loses good people.
A real compensation range. We can't build the right shortlist without knowing what the role can offer. We keep all compensation information confidential.
One point of contact. Searches run cleanest when one person owns the relationship on your side. We'll work with whoever you designate.
